Frankenstein - a Comparrison

2 Pages 455 Words

A Comparison of extracts from Mary Shelly’s ‘Frankenstein’ and Susan Hills ‘Woman in Black’ of their Effectiveness and Creation of Tension

I am intending to review an extract from two pieces of pre and post 19th Century text, in the hope of pinpointing the effectiveness and ways of creating tension in a Gothic Horror story. There are ways in which to define Gothic Horror, i.e., the simple plots, rather supernatural events, the specific definition between their complex and vivid descriptions, particular focus on terror and horror and the intense descriptions of the landscape and weather.
The pre century text is that of Mary Shelly’s ‘Frankenstein’, this is about a scientist called Frankenstein (last name), who was a rather prosperous man, but with various parts of dead bodies created a new, extraordinarily strong and powerful being, which does not know wrong from right, who kills many people. He blames his detestable existence on the scientist Frankenstein and goes about a way of ruining his life. Firstly by setting up Frankenstein’s girlfriend’s sister for the death of Frankenstein’s young sister, at this the sister is hanged. After the marriage of Frankenstein to his girlfriend, on their honeymoon night the monster kills his wife. When Frankenstein discovers her he goes crazy and recreates her with outer body parts. When she awakes she is hysterical and kills herself, leaving Frankenstein distraught and helpless. Later the monster returns to find Frankenstein dead and he kills himself. It is set in a couple of places, but it is a period drama, set mainly in London at the time of the Great Plague. But is also set in snow-capped mountains and the Swiss Alps.
The post century text, is by Susan Hill, a story called ‘Woman in Black’. It is about a young lawyer who travels to Norfolk in hope of settling the affairs of one of his clients. While there he has what seems like a vision of a woman dressed simply i...